Friday, March 11, 2011

This week's featured SF Etsy artist is Laurel of Shophana. "Giving old items new purpose" is the catchphrase for her shop, and that's a sentiment that I can definitely support! I love seeing how creatively folks can repurpose items to give them a renewed life. Her skeleton key necklaces are especially neat!

Enjoy the interview!

1. Please tell us about the items in your Etsy shop. What do you make? How did you learn your craft? What is involved in your creative process?

All of the items in my shop are repurposed or upcycled. I do not make anything out something new from a store. I love to make items out of antiques and vintage items the most. I also love to knit and I make all of the items in my store out of either vintage yarn from my collection of my great grandmother’s yarn. Or I make my knitwares out of yarn I have found in skeins at yard sales, estate sales, and thrift stores. I learned to knit with my mother but she soon got frustrated and quit while I kept learning.

I learned the rest of my crafts from trial and error as I have been crafting and decorating since I was a child. My sister even nicknamed me HG because I love HGTV and I am always thinking about how I can make a room better by doing it my self. My creative process is all about seeing something and wondering what I could do with it to give it new life and new purpose. I don’t really stick to any one craft or style I do whatever feels right.

2. Tell us two (or more) other interesting things about you.

I am currently a grad school student earning my multiple subject teaching credential and hope to be an elementary school teacher. I also teach group exercise classes and in my spare time I love to dance. I love to go “garage saleing” with my boyfriend and family and bake for loved ones (and myself).

3. How did you get involved with Etsy?

I got involved it Etsy because a coworker of mine told me about it. It was just around Christmas time and I had wanted to be involved in the Christmas Craft show at work but I could not make enough stuff in time. I found Etsy and fell in love. I started my store right away.

4. What is your biggest challenge related to your Etsy shop?

My biggest challenge with my etsy shop is sales because I haven’t made one yet, iwould love to make more items and have many different ideas but it is hard to justify spending more on my store when it is not paying me back at all.

5. What is your favorite item in your shop? Why is it your favorite?

This vintage glass candle holder is my favorite item because it uses two vintage items in a totally new way. An old bedspring becomes the base and an antique glass telephone line insulator gets turned upside down to hold a candle. The antique glass glows with the light of the candle.